KARACHI, Dec 5: All the 350 suspects booked and arrested on charges of robbery and armed dacoity during the year’s first three quarters were released on bail despite the fact that most of them had been identified by complainants, Dawn has learnt.

While police officials and legal experts agreed that weaknesses existed in the conventional judicial system, which relies on investigation and prosecution to convict any accused, a recently compiled data of the robbery cases showed that the victims’ hope to obtain justice faded with the early release of the suspects on bail.

“A total of 350 suspects were arrested under Sections 392 (punishment for robbery) and 395 (punishment for dacoity) of the Pakistan Penal Code and produced in courts from January to September,” said a police official citing the recently-compiled data. He added that all of them were released on bail during trials.

He said that 11 per cent suspects were remanded to bail within a week of trial, while 75pc managed to win bails within two months.

He said the study carried out by the police authorities reflected the trend of arrests, prosecution and then the fate of the entire exercise that needed to deliver justice.

A similar exercise was conducted to analyse the trend in cases of illegal arms a few months ago. The findings showed that as many as 1,174 suspects — 88 per cent — were granted bail and only 151 suspects were sent to prisons on judicial remand.

Of the total 1,325 cases registered under the Arms Ordinance, the courts granted bail to 18 suspects (1.3 per cent) on the very first day when the police produced them in courts, according to the study.

Legal experts blamed weak investigation by police officials and the national judicial policy that focused on early disposal of cases for the release of the suspects, charged with possessing illegal weapon and committing armed robbery, on bail.

Call for reforms “The judicial policy no doubt has increased the disposal rate but justice is still not guaranteed,” said retired Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid.

“But there is a major flaw in police investigation and then the capability of the judicial system that is under too much burden and pressure. For justice, each and every component of the prosecution and judiciary is needed to be reformed whether it’s police investigation or judicial matters,” he said.

The retired justice said it was unfortunate that amid flaws in the police investigations and judicial system, the victims emerged as the real losers who were hardly getting justice in cases being prosecuted in the courts of law.

“The entire system which includes police role, prosecution contribution and all other components which are involved in the process is needed to be overhauled, reformed and trained. Otherwise, one should not expect any required level of performance from the existing one,” he added.

The police authorities admitted serious problems in the investigation process, including shortage of resources and corruption. However, they insisted that the implementation of Police Order, 2002, in true spirit could return better results.

“Unfortunately, the Police Order, 2002, was never implemented in true spirit,” said DIG East Dr Amir Sheikh. “Half-hearted implementation of the order in fact divided the police functions and affected the investigation arm of the department.”